1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an information processor, an input device thereof and a display device, and particularly to a communication technique for performing communications between an input device and the main body of an information processor containing CPU or a display device.
2. Description of the Related Art
One type of information processor, known as a xe2x80x9cpersonal computerxe2x80x9d is disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Hei-6-195163, for example.
The information processor disclosed in the above publication comprises a main body having a CPU, a keyboard connected to the main body through a cable, and a cordless key unit which transmits/receives signals to/from the keyboard under a wireless (radio) condition. The cordless key unit is provided with a transmitter for transmitting infrared-ray signals or the like, and the keyboard is provided with a receiver for receiving the infrared-ray signals or the like. The signal from the transmitter of the cordless key unit is received by the receiver of the keyboard, and then transmitted to the main body through the cable.
Further, an information processor disclosed in Japanese Laid-open Patent Application No. Hei-5-108257 comprises a mouse having a transmitter for transmitting infrared-ray signals and a main body thereof which contains a receiver for receiving the infrared-ray signals.
Each of the above information processors is designed so that data transmission/reception (data communication) between the main body of the information processor and the keyboard or the mouse serving as input means is performed under a wireless (radio) condition (i.e., each information processor is developed in order to perform the cordless communication).
Recently, information processors are being used under such an environment as shown in FIG. 40. When a desktop personal computer 1 is used as the information processor, it is a recent tendency that the depth dimension of the image processor is large because a CRT is used as a display device 2 and thus the information processor takes up a large amount of space on a desk. For example, most business men, dealers relating to the securities business, etc. usually use portable computers 3 in addition to their desk top type computes because they are required to often arrange data, make data files open, etc. at other places (which are remote from their offices). Therefore, when each of them puts his/her portable personal computer 3 on his/her desk in addition to a large-size desktop personal computer 1, and further puts documents and writing materials on the desk, the effective area on the desk in which the user can freely work is remarkably reduced, and also the top of the desk becomes very cluttered.
As described above, in many cases, various equipment, documents, writing materials, etc. are arranged in a disorderly manner around the information processor on the desk. Therefore, the conventional information processors have such a problem that when documents or the like are located between the main body of the information processor and the cordless input means, a communication problem may occur between the main body and the input means.
The present invention has been implemented in view of the problem of the prior art, and has an object to provide an information processor, an input device thereof and a display device which can suppress the communication problem between the main body of the information processor or the display device and the input device to the minimum level.
Therefore, in order to attain the above object, a first information, processor according to the present invention which includes a main body having a CPU for performing various data processing, an input device for inputting data to the main body and a display device for displaying the data on a screen in accordance with an instruction from the main body, is characterized in that the input device includes:
plural input-side transmission means which transmit signals under wireless (radio) conditions and are disposed at different positions so as to face in different directions;
input-side identification code setting means for setting an identification code of the input device in the signals to be transmitted from the input-side transmission means,
one of the main body and the display device includes:
body-side reception means for receiving the radio signals from the input-side transmission means; and
body-side identification code setting means for setting the identification code of the input device, and
the main body includes signal control means for judging whether the same identification code as set by the body-side identification code setting means exists in the signal received by!the body-side reception means, and processing the signals received by the body-side reception means.
A second information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the first information processor, a plurality of body-side reception means are provided, and the plural body-side reception means are provided at different positions from one another.
A third information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the second information processor, the main body has a body cover having a front surface and right and left side surfaces, and the plural body-side reception means are respectively provided on the front surface, the left side surface and the right side surface, respectively.
A fourth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the third information processor, a signal directivity guide portion is provided to each of the left side surface and the right side surface of the body cover to enhance the reception performance of each of the body-side reception means provided to the left side surface and the right side surface for radio signals transmitted from the front-surface side direction.
A fifth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the second information processor the display device has a display screen and a display device cover which covers the edge of the display screen and has a front surface at the same side as the display screen, and at least one of the plural body-side reception means is provided to the front surface of the display device cover.
A sixth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the first information processor, the plural input-side transmission means are input-side optical signal transmission means for transmitting optical signals as the radio signals, the body-side reception means is body-side optical signal reception means for receiving the optical signals as the radio signals, and the body-side optical signal reception means includes an optical guide having an optical input portion for receiving the optical signal and an optical output portion for outputting the optical signals from the optical input portion, and a light receiving element for receiving the optical signals from the optical output portion of the optical guide and converting the optical signals to electrical signals.
A seventh information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the sixth information processor the optical guide is designed such that the optical input portion has at least a one-dimensional spread, and the optical signal received at any position of the optical input portion is guided to the optical output portion.
An eighth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the sixth information processor the body-side optical signal reception means has a plurality of optical guides, the respective optical input portions of the plural optical guides are located at different positions from one another, and each of the optical output portions of the plural optical guides is located so that the light receiving element can receive the optical signal from each optical output portion.
A ninth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the seventh information processor, the main body includes a body cover having a front surface, and the at least one-dimensionally-spreading optical input portion of the optical guide is exposed from at least the front surface of the body cover.
A tenth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the seventh information processor, the display device includes a display screen and a display device which covers the edge of the display screen and has a front surface formed at the same side as the display screen, the at least one-dimensionally spreading optical input portion of the optical guide being exposed from at least the front surface of the display device cover.
An eleventh information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in any one of the first to tenth information processors, the input device has signal control means for adding data corresponding to a series of operations from the external of the input device into the radio signals transmitted from the plural input-side transmission means, and controlling the respective input-side transmission means to transmit the radio signals containing the same data plural times.
A twelfth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in any one of the first to fourth information processors and the sixth to ninth information processors, the input device is a keyboard, each of the main body and the keyboard has a connection end face through which the main body and the keyboard are mutually connected to each other, the connection end face of the main body is provided with the body-side reception means, normal-use transmission means which is one of the plural input-side transmission means is provided to the connection end of the keyboard so as to confront the body-side reception means when the keyboard is connected to the main body, and the keyboard includes connection detection means for detecting whether the connection with the main body is established, and power source control means for allowing only the normal-use transmission means in the plural input-side transmission means to perform signal transmission when the connection with the main body is detected by the detection means and allowing all the input-side transmission means to perform the signal transmission when the disconnection from the main body is detected by the connection detection means.
A thirteenth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in any one of the first to eleventh information processors, the input device is a keyboard, and each of the main body and the keyboard has a connection end face through which the connection is established therebetween, the main body includes a power source circuit for supplying power to various types of operating components containing the CPU and a power supply terminal for supplying power from the power source circuit to the keyboard, the keyboard includes a primary battery accommodating portion in which a primary battery for supplying power to the various types of operating components mounted in the keyboard is accommodated, a secondary battery which is chargeable and serves to supply power to the various types of operating components mounted in the keyboard, a power receiving terminal connected to the secondary battery, the power receiving terminal being connected to the power supply terminal of the main body when the connection with the main body is established, switching means for allowing only one of the primary battery and the secondary battery to supply the power to the various types of operating components mounted in the keyboard, and power source control means for instructing the switching means to preferentially use a predetermined one of the primary battery and the secondary battery, and detecting a power amount stocked in each of the primary battery and the secondary battery, and instructing the switching means to use the other battery when the power amount of the predetermined one battery is below a predetermined power amount.
In order to attain the above object, a fourteenth information processor including a main body having CPU for performing various types of processing, an input device for inputting data to the main body and a display device for performing a screen display in accordance with an instruction from the main body, is characterized in that one of the input device, the main body or the display device includes: one or more first transmission/reception means each comprising transmission means for transmitting signals under radio conditions and reception means which receives the signal under the radio conditions and is provided so as to be integral with or adjacent to the transmission means; and signal control means for controlling the transmission means of the first transmission/reception means so that when the reception means of any one of the one or more transmission/reception means receives a radio signal, the transmission means of the transmission/reception means concerned is controlled to transmit a reception establishment signal in cooperation with the reception means, and the other of the input device and the main body or the display device includes: a plurality of second transmission/reception means each comprising transmission means for transmitting signals under the radio conditions, and reception means which receives signals under the radio conditions and is provided so as to be integral with or adjacent to the transmission means; and power source control means for controlling power supply to the transmission means of the plural second transmission/reception means so that when at least one of the plural second transmission/reception means receives the reception establishment signal, it is assumed according to a predetermined rule that communication is established between one of the second transmission/reception means and the first transmission/reception means transmitting the reception establishment signal, and the power supply to the transmission means of the second transmission/reception means concerned is continued while the power supply to the other transmission means of the second transmission/reception means is intercepted.
A fifteenth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the fourteenth information processor, the reception establishment signal is the same as the signal transmitted from the second transmission/reception means.
A sixteenth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the fourteenth or fifteenth information processor, the rule for the reception of the reception establishment signal by the plural second transmission/reception means is determined so that one of the second plural transmission/reception means which receives the earliest reception establishment signal or receives the strongest reception establishment signal is set as the second transmission/reception means which establishes the communication with the first transmission/reception means.
A seventeenth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in any one of the fourteenth to sixteenth information processors, the second transmission/reception means is further provided with signal control means, and when, under the condition that the communication establishment between one second transmission/reception means and the first transmission/reception means is judged by the power source control means, another second transmission/reception means receives a radio signal from another equipment, the signal control means independently controls each of signals which are transmitted/received to/from both the one second transmission/reception means and the other second transmission/reception means which receives the radio signal from the other equipment.
An eighteenth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in the seventeenth information processor, when, under a condition that the communication establishment between one second transmission/reception means and the first transmission/reception means is judged by the power source control means and another second transmission/reception means receives a radio signal from another equipment, so that it is required to transmit signals from the transmission means of the other transmission/reception means to the other equipment, the power control means is made to re-start the power supply to the transmission means of the other second transmission/reception means.
A nineteenth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in any one of the fourteenth to eighteenth information processors, at least one of the plural second transmission/reception means is provided so as to be movable or changeable in its facing direction.
A twentieth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in any one of the fourteenth to nineteenth information processors, the second transmission/reception means has identification code setting means for setting an identification code thereof in a signal to be transmitted therefrom, and the first transmission/reception means includes identifying code setting means for setting the identification code of the second transmission/reception means, wherein the signal control means of the first transmission/reception means judges whether the same identification code as set by the identification code setting means of the first transmission/reception means exists in the signal received by the first transmission/reception means, and if the same identification code exists, the signal control means processes the signal received by the first transmission/reception means and controls the first transmission/reception means to transmit the reception establishment signal.
A twenty-first information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in any one of the fourteenth to twelfth information processors, the input device is a keyboard, and each of the main body and the keyboard has a connection end face through which the connection therebetween is made, the connection end face of the main body is provided with the transmission/reception means, the connection end face of the keyboard is provided with one normal-use transmission/reception means of the plural input-side transmission/reception means is provided so as to confront the transmission/reception means of the main body when the keyboard is connected to the main body, and the keyboard includes: connection detection means for detecting whether the connection with the main body is established; and power source control means for controlling the plural transmission/reception means so that only the normal-use transmission/reception means of the plural transmission/reception means is allowed to perform signal transmission when the connection with the main body is detected by the detection means, and all the plural transmission/reception means are allowed to perform signal transmission when the disconnection from the main body is detected by the connection detection means.
A twenty-second information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in any one of the fourteenth to twenty second information processors, the input device is a keyboard, each of the main body and the keyboard has a connection end face through which the connection therebetween is made, the main body has a power source circuit for supplying power to various types of operating components containing the CPU and a power supply terminal for supplying power from the power source circuit to the keyboard, the keyboard includes a primary battery accommodating portion in which a primary battery for supplying power to the various types of operating components mounted in the keyboard is accommodated, a secondary battery which is chargeable and serves to supply power to the various types of operating components mounted in the keyboard, a power receiving terminal connected to the secondary battery, the power receiving terminal being connected to the power supply terminal of the main body when the connection with the main body is established, switching means for allowing only one of the primary battery and the secondary battery to supply the power to the various types of operating components mounted in the keyboard, and power source control means for instructing the switching means to preferentially use a predetermined one of the primary battery and the secondary battery, and detecting a power amount stocked in each of the primary battery and the secondary battery, and instructing the switching means to use the other battery when the power amount of the predetermined one battery is below a predetermined power amount.
A twenty-third information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in any one of the first to eleventh information processors and the fourteenth to twentieth information processors, the input device is a keyboard.
A twenty fourth information processor to attain the above object is characterized in that in any one of the first to eleventh information processors and the fourteenth to twentieth information processors, the input device is a mouse.
According to the above-described information processors, the main body or the display device can receive radio signals from the input device at plural places. Therefore, even if any foreign object exists between the main body or the display device and the input device or the orientation of the input device with respect to the main body or the display device is changed, the communication problems between the main body (the display device) and the input device due to these factors can be avoided.
Further, according to the fourteenth to twenty fourth information processors, each of which has the power source control means, the power supply to the transmission means which are not required to be used can be cut-off, so that the power consumption can be reduced. Further, according to the twentieth information processor having the identification code setting means, an apparatus from which a received signal is transmitted can be identified. Therefore, radio interference with another apparatus can be avoided.